Exercising chair



N. E. GOODRICH EXERCISINGQCHAIR Filed May 9, 19

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 m a m m R T Y u M mam V m N Y N. E. GOODRICHEXERCISING CHAIR May 1, 1951 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Filed May 9, 1946 INVENTORN. E.GoodrLch %Q.G%J

ORNEY Patented May 1, 1951 UNITED EXERCISING CHAIR Norris E. Goodrich,Battle Creek, Mich.

Application May 9, 1946, Serial No. 668,509

8 Claims. (Cl. 272-58) The present invention relates broadly toexercising equipment, and in its specific phases to an exercising chair.

'I'heer are various types of exercising equipment on the market such aswalking machines, rowing machines, mechanical horses, and the like, butnone of them are constructed in manner permittingexercising the back andabdominal muscles of a patient by an alternating twisting motion whilesupporting the body at the same time. It was a recognition that suchequipment was entirelylacking on the market, and that there was adefinite need of same, which led to the conception and development ofthe present invention.

Accordingly among the objects of the present invention is the provisionof an exercising chair having a seat which oscillates on a substantiallyvertical axis. Another object of the invention .is to provide anexercising chair which has a relatively rigidly held high back with armswhich extend forward from the back.

Another object of the invention is to provide the chair assembly has abase i which may be provided with openings 2 in its outer edge foranchoring to the floor if desired. Mounted on the base, preferablyforward of the center thereof, as is shown in Figure 2, is a seat 3which may, for instance, have a base panel 4 (Figure 5) with a cushion 5mounted thereon in conventional an' exercising chair which has anoscillatable seat 4 with means for returning it to normal startingposition.

A further object of the invention is to provide an oscillatable seatexercising chair wherein the seat is tilted back slightly on itsvertical axis of oscillation.

Still'further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as thedescription proceeds.

To. the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention,then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularlypointed out in the claims, the annexed drawings and the followingdescription setting forth in detail certain means for carrying out theinvention, such disclosed means illustrating, however, but one of thevarious ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Figure 1 shows a front view of the chair of the present invention.

Figure 2 shows a side view of the chair illustrated in Figure 1. I

Figure 3 shows a top view of the chair illus trated in Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of an arm mountingas taken along line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 shows an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the seatpedestal assembly as taken along line 55 of Figure l.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

manner. This seat is supported by a pedestal assembly 6 which has atubular housing 5 fitting into a bottom flange 8, and anchored theretoby means of screw 9. Flange 3 may be an integral part of base I or itmay be fastened thereto by ,means of cap screws H and the showingis'intended to be diagrammatic of either of these constructions.Fastened in the lower end of tubular housing I is a plug l l which isanchored in place by means of screw l2. Plug H is bored so as to have aconical bearing seat at the lower end of the bore, while the upper endof the bore may be provided with a bushing iii in which shaft 14rotatably fits. Wound around shaft [4, which is supported by a ballbearing 42 resting on the conical seat, is a pair of springs l5 and i6which are coiled in opposite directions with the lower end of thesprings entering suitable anchoring openings in plug ll while the upperend of each of the springs is fastened in a sleeve H which is anchoredto shaft 14 by means of set screw Hi. In the upper end of tubularhousing l is a plug l9 which is bored and preferably fitted with abushing 20 of a size closely fitting shaft is while permitting same tofreely rotate therein. Plug l9, which may be provided with an outturnedshoulder on its upper end adapted to rest on the upper end of the.tubular housing I, may be anchored in place in conventional manner, forinstance, by means of set screw 2|.

In order to prevent shaft I i from being accidentally withdrawn from thepedestal assembly, the shaft is cross drilled at a point normally justbelow plug l9 and a cotter pin 22 placed therein and clinched. Anyupward movement of shaft M in the pedestal assemlby will, under theseconditions, be stopped when the cotter pin reaches the under face ofplug I9. 7 A flange 23 is anchored on the upper end of shaft M by meansof a set screw 24. This construction permits the seat to be assembled inproper position after the pedestal assembly has been fastened to base i.The upper face of this flange is preferably set at an angle for apurpose to be hereinafter described, and screws 25 serve to fasten theseat assembly 3 to it.

Joined to base I in conventional manner, such as by means of integralbosses or flanges Z6 and 27, are a pair of rod type back braces 28 and29 which are bent to the desired shape to provide clearance during useof the chair. These back braces may be conventionally anchored at theirlower ends to the bosses such as by welding or by means of set screws 3%and 3!. At the upper end of back braces 28 and 29 is welded a crossmember 32 (Figure 3) which has forwardly tending side members 33 andFastened to these side members are a pair of extending hand grip armmembers 35 and 35. This fastening is preferably accomplished by a dualanchoring procedure which involves the use of a threaded plug 3'!(Figure 4) fitting a sidewise drilled opening in the arm member, saidplug bein in a position to act as the nut for a bolt 38 extending fromthe back of cross member 32 lengthwise of the arm member. To make thearm fastening more rigid and stable two of these bolt arrangements maybe used for each arm, as is shown in Figure 2. addition a pair of screws39 are used to si ewise anchor each of the arm members to the extensionsof cross member 32 and thus make the arms still more rigid and stable.Faste-ned cross member 32 in conventional manner is a back member towhich carries a pad ii on its upper portion. Constructing the assemblyin this manner produces a back and arms which are exceedingly rigid andable to withstand severe strains under conditions of use of the chair.

The chair thus becomes an exercising machine which is used for limitedtwisting of the users body from his hips to his shoulders in mannerexercising and stren thening his back and abdominal muscles. The adultsize of the chair, for instance, is so proportioned that when an adultsits on the seat, the longitudinal axis of the pedestal assembly 6 isapproximately in line with his spinal column as he sits upright in thechair with his shoulders against the back cushion ii while gripping armmembers 35 and 36 and pushing back to hold his shoulders firmly inplace. The user then extends his feet outward, and, to carry on theexercise, swings his feet and legs alternately from side to side whilesitting on the seat and holding his arms and shoulders firmly in placeas described. This leaves his body free to be twisted back and forthfrom his shoulders to his hips in manner strengthening his muscles inthis area.

In order for the user to avoid sliding forward on the seat 3 during thetaking of these exercises, it was found desirable to incline the frontof the seat upward about five degrees from horizontal, as shown inFigure 2. The seat normally comes to rest in the adjusted position shownin Figure 3, when the treatment is over, dueito the effect of the twooppositely wound springs in pedestal assembly 8. Th se springs are ofmodere -ate tension so as to offer little resistance to rotating theseat from of use.

Other modes of invention may be side to side under conditions ,of saidhousing, a shaft fittingsaid bearings. a

thrust bearing at the lower end of said shaft for supporting same, aflange anchored on the upper end of said shaft, a pair of oppositelywound springs mounted substantially concentric with said shaft, one endof each of said springs being anchored in fixed position relative tosaid tubular member, the other end of each of said springs beinganchored to said shaft for rotation therewith, said springs normallyreturning and resiliently holding said shaft in a single position, andmeans for holding said shaft against removal therefrom, a seat mountedon said flange, said seat bein tilted backwards a small amount, a backmember with forwardly extending side portions, said back member being atnormal shoulder height of an adult human being when sitting on saidseat, a pair of substantially rigid rods extending upward behind saidseat, said rods being anchored to said base at their lower end and tosaid back member at their upper end, a pair of arms, and means forrigidly fastening said arms substantially horizontally to said forwardlyextending side portions of said back mem: her in manner such that saidarms project forward freely on opposite sides of said seat at anelevation thereabove such that an'adult human being may sit on the seatand with his arms extended and hands gripping the rigidly mounted chairarms so as to hold his shoulders firmly against the back member, he mayraise his feet and legs and swing them from side to side under said armswith an oscillatory motion to exercise his back and abdominal muscles,and when he gets up from the chair the springs will return the seat toits original position.

2. An exercising machine for human beings, which comprises a basemember, a pedestal assembly rigidly mounted at its lower end on saidbase, said pedestal assembly having a tubular housing, bearings at theupper and lower ends of said housing, a shaft fitting said bearings, athrust bearing supporting the lower end of said shaft, a flange anchoredon the upper end of said shaft, and a pair of oppositely wound springsmounted substantially concentric with said shaft, one end of each ofsaid springs being anchorcdin fixed position relative to said tubularmember, the other end of each of said springs being anchored to saidshaft for rotation therewith, said springs normally returning andresiliently holding said shaft in a single position, a seat mounted onsaid flange, a back member with arms mounted thereon and solelysupported thereby, the upper portion of said back member being at normalshoulder height .of an adult human being and solely supporting saidadult in the shoulder area while said arms connected to said back memberfreely extend forward from the lower portion of said back member, andmeans for suitably mounting said back with arms rigidly on said basewith said arms at an .elevation above said seat such that the legs of ahuman being sitting thereon, and turning sidewise, .will freely passunder said arms. f

3. In a sitting down type of exercising .machine having a substantiallyvertical and relatively narrow front face shoulder height back rest withhand grip arm rests freely extending forward from same, saidsubstantially vertical front face back rest being mounted substantiallyhorizontally extending forward from an upright relatively rigid supportmeans adapted to .clear the hips of one using said machine, the.combination of a tubular pedestal, a rctary shaft in.- cluding assemblymounted substantially yea-ti 5 cally in said pedestal, bearings for theupper and lower ends of. said substantially vertically mounted shaft, athrust bearing underfthe lower end of said shaft for supporting same, aseat mounted on the upper nd of said shaft, said seat being tiltedbackwards a small amount, and I REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 412,513. 'Kramer et a1 Oct. 8,1889 557,406? 5 Lirm et a1 Mar. 31, 1896 951,560;v Eaton Mar. 8, 19101,532,353v Walton Apr. 7, 1925 1,712,727 Birdsall May 14, 1929 1,772,234Von Rosenstiel Aug. 5, 1930

